(Slight spoiler below.) The historical importance of this breezy, enjoyable film is often overlooked. Frederick Kohner developed the story from his daughter Kathy's teen-dream summer diary (with her permission), giving the world an inviting view of California's burgeoning surfer/beatnik culture. The film's enormous popularity resulted,some old-timers complained,in the jamming(pun intended)of Malibu with gawking wannabes. It also spawned a generation of C- surf/rock films of considerably lesser quality. The reputation of the first Gidget film suffers from the sins of its "children."
Some reviewers here are angry about Gidget's innocence. Their comments tell more about their own unhappy "now" than they do about the coy, complacent "then" they condemn vaguely as "the fifties." Angry feminists' comments about the traditional oppression of women that is supposedly approved of in Gidget are apparently unaware that the film and the novel(there is much testimony from women on this)were a great boost to young women athletes who wanted to become excellent surfers.
Sandra Dee as Gidget is the key-light here: pretty and bright (in both senses of the word). Though sometimes over-the-top in her teener enthusiasm, she is much more than just another airhead beach bunny. She is insightful, sensitive, and eager to explore surfing and mature love.(And she plays the cello, but we're spared that.) It's a delightful portrayal.
Moondoggie and the Big Kahuna, with their summer-camp nicknames, represent American types emerging from the nonconformist movement, post-Korea era of America. Robertson gives depth to his character as a restless war veteran who wants to escape the responsibilities of a time-clocked world and who is subtly reminded by Gidget of the loneliness of his itinerant lifestyle. The last scene plays out this conflict skillfully, despite the admittedly sugary final moments of the film.
But it's not intended to be a critical documentary on the evils of the past. It's a brilliantly colorful and skillfully shot romantic comedy. Forget its minor flaws. Enjoy that exciting summer of the not- so-distant past. Surf's up!
Some reviewers here are angry about Gidget's innocence. Their comments tell more about their own unhappy "now" than they do about the coy, complacent "then" they condemn vaguely as "the fifties." Angry feminists' comments about the traditional oppression of women that is supposedly approved of in Gidget are apparently unaware that the film and the novel(there is much testimony from women on this)were a great boost to young women athletes who wanted to become excellent surfers.
Sandra Dee as Gidget is the key-light here: pretty and bright (in both senses of the word). Though sometimes over-the-top in her teener enthusiasm, she is much more than just another airhead beach bunny. She is insightful, sensitive, and eager to explore surfing and mature love.(And she plays the cello, but we're spared that.) It's a delightful portrayal.
Moondoggie and the Big Kahuna, with their summer-camp nicknames, represent American types emerging from the nonconformist movement, post-Korea era of America. Robertson gives depth to his character as a restless war veteran who wants to escape the responsibilities of a time-clocked world and who is subtly reminded by Gidget of the loneliness of his itinerant lifestyle. The last scene plays out this conflict skillfully, despite the admittedly sugary final moments of the film.
But it's not intended to be a critical documentary on the evils of the past. It's a brilliantly colorful and skillfully shot romantic comedy. Forget its minor flaws. Enjoy that exciting summer of the not- so-distant past. Surf's up!